The singer is now enjoying all the time she gets to spend with her kids, because "when she doesn't work, she is all about being a mom."
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 6, 2021. It has since been updated.
Even the most amicable divorces can get messy in a short span, and amid the ongoing divorce proceedings from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson is staying positive through it all. This update comes just days after a Los Angeles County judge ordered the singer to pay Blackstock, 44, almost $200,000 a month in spousal and child support.
Now, a source has revealed to PEOPLE that Clarkson, 39, is "facing forward" and prioritizing the former couple's children River Rose, 7, and Remington Alexander, 5— whom she has primary custody of, per USA Today.
"Kelly is more than fine. She is doing great and facing forward," a source revealed. "She's enjoying the fact that she has the kids for the vast majority of the time and is enjoying time spent with them."
Even though Clarkson has a busy schedule, with her hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show and serving as a coach on The Voice, her children remain her priority. "When she doesn't work, she is all about being a mom," a second source said. "She loves being with her kids. Occasionally, she even takes her kids to work," the insider adds. "It's obvious that she wants to spend as much time with them as possible."
The source then revealed that the monthly support amount is a temporary arrangement. "The court order is what it is," the source explains. "It is strictly temporary support until a final settlement is worked out."
Apparently, Blackstock—who used to work as Clarkson's manager—was actually aiming for more than double the amount in support, requesting that Clarkson pay him $436,000 per month. In July 2021, Clarkson also appealed for a judge to officially sign off on her divorce, leaving other arrangements such as spousal and child support for a later date. The reason for her appeal was that she and Blackstock "both deserve the opportunity to build a new life."
Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock citing irreconcilable differences in June 2020. The same year, in November, she was granted custody of her two children. At the time, a source close to the family said that the American Idol winner is "pleased" by the custody ruling as her priority is to protect her children.
"As Kelly has said, her first priority in all of this is to take care of the kids and all the hearts that are involved in this divorce," the source says. "It's been a hard time for everyone, but Kelly's pleased with the court's ruling regarding custody."
"Divorce is hard and it gets tense for most couples going through it. But Kelly's primary focus is on doing the best she can to protect the kids," the source adds. "In this case, she had to fight for them since Brandon and his attorneys were making unreasonable requests."
During the Season 2 premiere of The Kelly Clarkson Show in September 2020, the singer addressed her divorce, mentioning that the split came as a surprise. "2020 has brought a lot of change also to my personal life," Clarkson said. "Definitely didn't see anything coming that came."
She then added that the divorce has been difficult, given her children were also involved. "What I'm dealing with is hard because it involves more than just my heart," she said. "It involves a lot of little hearts. We have four kids, and divorce is never easy. We're both from divorced families, so we know the best thing here is to protect our children and their little hearts."
References:
https://people.com/music/kelly-clarkson-doing-great-facing-forward-divorce-from-brandon-blackstock/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Tibrina Hobson
